Friday 11 June 2010

Sleigh Bells - Treats

With blog buzz set to overdrive it is completely understandable if you approach Treats by Sleigh Bells with caution. We’ve all seen the over exaggeration that can spout from excitable writers who think they have discovered the next big thing, only to purchase the album and find ourselves shrugging our shoulders.

But the caution that you should exercise with Treats is nothing to do with hype. This time the danger is from the powerful sensory overload of sound that will hit you when you play this recording. Ear defenders may be required because Treats is loud even when it’s played quiet. In fact, Treats is so loud it makes us want to SHOUT. LIKE THIS.

TREATS IS A FORCEFULLY IMMEDIATE RECORD THAT HITS HARD AND HEAVY WITH DISTORTED PROCESSED NOISE, WEIGHTY BEATS AND GIRLISH NURSERY RHYME CHANTS. IT’S AN EXHILARATING OBLITERATING PIECE OF WORK, THAT IS BRUTAL, HARDCORE, INVENTIVE AND YET FULL OF POP SENSIBILITY. DO YOU HEAR WHAT WE’RE SAYING ? NO WE’RE NOT SAYING IT, WE’RE F*CKING YELLING THIS AS LOUD AS WE F*CKING CAN.

RATHER LIKE THE XX ALBUM LAST YEAR TREATS IS A RECORD CONSTRUCTED FROM ONE IDEA, BUT IT’S SUCH A MINDBLOWINGLY GOOD IDEA THAT WE DEFY YOU NOT TO FIND YOURSELF PRESSING REPEAT OVER AND OVER. DO YOU HEAR US ?

IMAGINE M.I.A RUBBING YOUR EARS UP AGAINST A CHEESE GRATER AND THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE BEING INCREDIBLY PLEASURABLE - SO PLEASURABLE THAT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU’VE STRIPPED NAKED AND ARE PUSHING YOUR WHOLE BODY AGAINST THAT GRATER WILLINGLY. THAT’S THE SOUND OF TREATS.

SLEIGH BELLS HAVE CREATED AN ALBUM THAT COULD BLOW NOT ONLY YOUR MIND BUT THE SPEAKERS. CROWN ON THE GROUND IS SO DISTORTED THAT THE FIRST INCLINATION IS TO ADJUST YOUR CD OR MP3 PLAYER. IT SHOULD COME WITH WARNING LABELS. YET AS THE TRACK GROWS IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT THE SOUNDS, THE CHANTS, THE GLORIOUS RACKET SPOUTING FROM THE STEREO IS AS ADDICTIVELY STIMULATING AS CRACK/COCAINE, ONLY IN A GOOD WAY - BECAUSE UNDERNATH THE FUZZ THERE’S SOMETHING HOOKY, BANGING AND HIGHLY MEMORABLE. STRAIGHT A’S IS A PULVERISING, YELLING PIECE OF MAYHEM THAT BEATS YOU INTO SUBMISSION IN JUST A MINUTE AND A HALF - IT WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING WASTED AND SPENT LIKE THE BEST EVER ORGASM OF YOUR FANTASIES. TELL ‘EM, KIDS AND RIOT RHYTHM ARE THREE PERFECTLY FORMED TRIBUTARIES THAT MERGE INTO EACH OTHER TO CREATE A TORRENTIAL FLOW OF MUSIC. ONLY RILL RILL REDUCES THE ILLUSTRIOUS EDGINESS, INSTEAD FORMING A CALMER OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RAGING DESERT STORM - BUT WHAT A STORM. LIKE A DIRTY, TRASHY ONE NIGHT STAND THAT TURNS INTO SOMETHING MORE, IT MAY NOT LAST FOREVER, BUT THIS ABRASIVE INTENSE POP BUBBLEGUM NEEDS TO BE CHEWED FOR SOME TIME YET.

BELIEVE US. BELIEVE THE BUZZ. TREATS IS ONE OF THE DEFINING ALBUMS OF 2010.

We’re done.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a hipster wank album. The level of hype on blogs such as this made me hate it before I even heard it, and when I did it was just the Go Team with extra noise.

Breaking More Waves Blog said...

Well you are entitled to your opinion on the album, it would be a boring place if we all agreed on everything, and I agree there are elements of "The Go Team with extra noise" particularly in the vocal chants.

To hate an album just because it has had a lot of people raving about it is a bit silly though I think. Judge the music on the music I say.

Phil said...

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. But anonymous is wrong.

Breaking More Waves Blog said...

Phil - I couldn't help but chuckle when I read that comment.

Yep. Anyone who disagrees with me is obviously wrong :)

XandMatt said...

I can't see why I like this album, but I do. I was slightly disappointed at first to hear Crown on the Ground is exactly the same on the album as it was on MySpace...but if I want something to perk me up, Treats is it.

Breaking More Waves Blog said...

Yes. Certainly not an album to put on when you want a relaxing calm moment! This is one to get the pulses racing....